Elon’s gaze slid to her blood-stained thumb. His brow plummeted in concern as he rushed to her side and cradled her hand between his. “You’re hurt.” He glanced up at her mother. “Do you have any clean water I could use?” Her mother jutted her chin towards the window. “Outside. There’s a well.” Elon tugged…

As Elon strode forward, her gaze remained on the floorboards, her head too heavy to lift. And then they stopped. To her left, her mother’s laced-up leather shoes were visible. To the right, her father’s thicker boots, his trousers stuffed into the tops. The silence was deafening, so much so she was tempted to plug…

Their horse’s hooves thundered against the path, leaving a flurry of dirt in their wake. The horse’s stride was long and smooth—and it was much more enjoyable than a plodding of a walk or the jolting bounce of a trot. Elon’s arm cinched her waist, and though it’d been unpleasant at first, her discomfort was…

If Elon had intended to comfort her, he was doing a rather pitiful job. “But the border didn’t follow Akasha.” “She was only one Reaper.” Carissa whipped around to face him. “How many Reapers are required to move the border?” “Many.” She rubbed the goose bumps from her arms. “But we killed Akasha.” Elon nodded….

One Day Later Carissa tugged on the waistband of the pants, taking back her wish to wear trousers. Trousers were so stifling and baggy. Instead of lightly dusting her legs as she walked, like a skirt would, the fabric wrapped around her legs completely. “Carissa? You do know how to put them on, don’t you?”…

She hated horses, saddles, and dresses, all of which contributed to her discomfort. The horse’s plodding jolted her with every step. The saddle felt like steel against her backside. And, wearing a dress as she was, she was forced to ride sidesaddle. “If you leaned against me and allowed me to support you, you’d be…

The dagger punctured Akasha’s chest. Carissa had expected her dagger to thud against bone and slice flesh, but beneath her skin, there seemed to be… nothing. Red engulfed Akasha’s irises, and Carissa lurched back from her. Black fog rushed from everywhere—her wounds, her mouth, her nose—producing a terrible screeching noise as it fled. Akasha’s skin…

Rapid footsteps pattered against the floor. She began to rise, until Elon squeezed her waist, and she settled back down. Akasha had to think they weren’t expecting her. The chill grew stronger at her back, and Carissa suppressed a shiver as her body stiffened. Judging from Elon’s strong grip on her waist, he didn’t want…

Carissa knew exactly what to do. She hauled in a deep breath before putting the first—and only—part of her plan into action: running to Elon. He was just rounding a darkened corner as she caught up, her hand slipping into his. The frigid feeling fled as suddenly as it’d come, and she felt sheepish about…

Their exit of the embassy was much more subtle than the entry. After mounting their horse, they slipped around the back of the stables before weaving through the half-timbered stucco and stone houses. Above her, the wind whipped the clouds into a frothy foam. Around her, a cool breeze rustled women’s skirts and swung the…